My first project : Tapper homage bartop

[ppv]

Disclaimer: This is the second try of this post. I seriously offended someone with the art I did. This will not be used. I have changed my idea and theme, to be more in line with the deco in my fiend's condo... Only crazy people never change ideas, and this is an apology of sorts too.

Second disclaimer: I am a Frenchie from Quebec and English is only my second language, so please, excuse the grammatical errors that may crop up from time to time.

Hey there!


Here is my project thread for a bartop I am currently building. I am doing this as a gift for my friend, a guy whose generosity is limitless. I was, for the longest time, looking for a gift that would suit him, as he is also a bit show off! Since his birthday is in November, I got to move on this...

So came the Idea of building him a bartop. He lives in a smaller condo, so space was obviously a concern. And I wanted to do something that he could put on his counter, if he wanted.
The goal is to do this with a minimalist budget, using parts that I had on hand if I could.

The Cab:
It's based on the Verticade design, which I love for the simplicity of the lines and all-around cool looks.


I am going horizontal on this though...

The specs (price in Canadian):
Radeon X800 Pro: Free
Asus Ps5PE-VM with a Core 2 duo proc. : Free
17 inch Acer LCD (Instant on, which is very cool and will be very handy for this project.) : Free
Ball-top Joystick with ten Buttons and "Zero Delay" controller (ebay) : 25$


Small Trackball 4.5cm (aliexpress): 22$


Wood: 1/2 inch plywood coupled with 1/4 inch Masonite for the sides: Free

The Theme:
One of the thing we have in common is the love of rock music. Since my change of theme, I will be going with that.  Stay tuned.
They say only idiots never changes their Ideas... So I switched my theme again! 


Here is the replacement screen for the windows boot...


Still to do: Marquee, CP and side art.

The software: I decided to use Attract Mode with a Nevato theme. It's cleaner than Hyperspin, easier to configure and runs amazingly fast. I have made a selection of about 180 games, which I have yet to all test... He is a big Fan of the Dragon's Lair series so of course Daphne is in there too...

The Build:

Started cutting the sides and their Masonite counterparts:


My stupid jigsaw is a bit cooked it seems so my first panel needed a lot more sanding than I was planning to do at this stage. I busted out my new router with my flush trim bit and made short work of the rest. I was careful to respect the tool as it scares me like hell, so I made sure to view as much instructional videos as possible. Even so, the learning curve is still present as I learned the hard way to move withe the tool...


This mistake will be corrected with wood putty or possibly bondo...

Then I started the joining of Masonite and plywood!  I did this because Masonite is already smooth as hell and will paint evenly easier for me. Paint is not my strong suit...


There's another error to correct there...

Now to set this side for drying... Notice the ugly green paint! I recuperated the surface of an old train table  I did for my daughter. This will get sanded, filled and primed.


While waiting for this side to dry, I found a perfect little 1/4 inch plywood board that is just the right size to the cp! So I started on mapping the whole cp for the drilling and routing..

[ppv]

So I had a bit more time today, so I glued the second side panel and decided to test my "new" drill press. Best 20$ I have spent! I do have learned something though: Hole saw works, but are a pain to uses continuously, as you have to remove the bit of wood every time. Still happy with the results.



I do have a question though... I am at a loss on how to proceed from there... Do I top mount everything and put a plexi on top? Or, if I go the vinyl print route, can I put only that with a sealant of sorts (preferably acrylic for durability)? Or would you recommend I get the CP printed professionally? Is that durable?

Thanks for your suggestions!

[ppv]

Had a bit of time to work on the cab today.

Squared-off the cp, which I have decided to paint only, and trired the hole with my Seimetsu clones buttons... My holes were too narrow. Should have read the wiki to see they were not 1 1/16... Anyhow I decided to use my new best friend, the drill press, and use a spindle sanding bit from my dremmel to adjust the  size of the holes...



Worked like a charm!

Next, I decided to try and fix my biggest mistake:



I tried to used a suggestion I read (forgot who, sorry!) and used a mix of sawdust and wood glue to fill the gap. I sandwiched the piece between two layers of plastic and proceeded to fill the gap... We will see if this works.

[DaredevilDave]

Hey, looking good. I'm building my first project too so I may not be the one to answer questions, but I am putting a thin layer of acrylic or plexi on top of my control panel.

I'm going to mount the joysticks and buttons, lay down some printed artwork - possibly glue that to a very thin board or something - then put plexi on top.

I only have space for an 1/8 inch (3 mm?) so using only a thin layer of plexi on my control panel.

I see you've decided to paint actually. Are you going to coat it with something to protect the paint?

[ppv]

Yes I will, some kind of acrylic finish to protect it... I decided to got with minimal and more tasteful art , to fit my friends decor... so no cp art, it is quite small anyway...

[ppv]

Well, well, well... Another day, another theme. I cannot seem to make my mind... Since the rock idea wasn't working for me, I thought I'd go for a theme based on one of my fiend favorite classic, Tapper.

While it is seemingly impossible to find a Tapper marquee in high res, I decided to try and recreate it.

In my search for art, I stumbled on markronz's Mame Tapper build. http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=106027.0

I thought his custom marquee looks nice, so I used it as a template to make my own custom one...

Thus, Guinness Tapper was born.

This is still a WIP though...



The work file is 9000x3000, which should be good enough for printing...

As the Tapper cp is mostly wood, I thought i'd print only what was necessary and tint the wood underneath.


Of course i'll have to add a two way joystick with a custom Guinness handle on this...

[thomas_surles]

I love tapper and hate it at the same time

[ppv]

I love tapper and hate it at the same time

  Indeed! It is a fun/aggravating game! Now If I could make a custom version for it too, the project would be awesome!

[Nephasth]

As the Tapper CPO is mostly a wooden pattern, I thought i'd print only what was necessary and tint the wood underneath.

Fixed that for you. Tapper CPs are made of the best material a CP could be made out of... metal.

Anyway... Tapper. Great choice for a bartop theme!

[ppv]

As the Tapper CPO is mostly a wooden pattern, I thought i'd print only what was necessary and tint the wood underneath.

Fixed that for you. Tapper CPs are made of the best material a CP could be made out of... metal.

Anyway... Tapper. Great choice for a bartop theme!

I should've known! 

[Wyo]

I like the idea of gluing the Masonite to plywood for a smooth surface.   That's smart!

[ppv]

I like the idea of gluing the Masonite to plywood for a smooth surface.   That's smart!

It will come with it's own drawbacks, I'm sure. It's really fragile on the edges and dent easily. I will  surely have to prime it before, as it is very likely to drink paint as MDF. And then there is my painting skills!

But thanks!